BIRMINGHAM,
Alabama - Witnesses gave police similar accounts of a fatal shooting and the arguments that led up to it, starting
with a fight over a cellphone, a Birmingham homicide detective testified at
a hearing today.

Stanley
Brent Chatman, 26, is charged with murder in the March 1 death of 31-year-old
Derrick King outside a north Birmingham home.

Chatman
appeared this morning for a preliminary hearing before Jefferson County
District Judge Katrina Ross, who decided there was probable cause to send the
case to a grand jury.

Homicide Detective
Jonathon Ross, the lead investigator on the case, testified that King died
after being shot three times, once each in the head, neck and back. He was
taken to UAB Hospital for treatment and later was pronounced dead.

Ross gave
this account: Chatman and his ex-girlfriend were arguing over a cellphone, and
the fight became physical, ending with Chatman punching the woman in the face.
She told King what had happened, and he went outside, where he ran into Chatman's
sister. The two were arguing outside a home on 10th Court North when Chatman
drove up.

His sister
and another witness told officers that moments after Chatman arrived, he shot
King, who fell to the ground and was shot twice more. In a statement to officers,
Chatman said King had a gun in the waistband of his pants, Ross said.

Chatman
told officers he disposed of the gun and went to a hotel, but then decided to
turn himself in at police headquarters, Ross said.

William
Myers, who is representing Chatman, said that some evidence presented in the case is disputed.

Chatman,
who was released from jail March 6, will remain free on $75,000 bond as the
case progresses.

According to court records, Chatman was released from prison in
November after serving about seven years of an imposed 15-year sentence in a
2005 slaying.